That's not entirely true. When I was uninsured, I was able to negotiate significant cash discounts with many out-patient providers. They had a very good idea

That's not entirely true. When I was uninsured, I was able to negotiate significant cash discounts with many out-patient providers. They had a very good idea what the overhead of billing an insurance provider was and were willing to lop that off their charge. Where it gets tricky is with in-patient care. There I would agree that it's more like representing yourself in court.